Transfer Files From One Computer To Another

It is often convenient to copy a file from one computer to another. For example, if you write an essay on your home computer, then you must bring your work to be able to present it . There are several ways to transfer files. The most popular and most practical, although not encrypted and therefore unsafe, is FTP .

FTP
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol . This protocol is standard and well established, and it has access to a variety of programs on many different platforms.

The use of the protocol is fairly simple. From your desktop, you use a program (FTP client) to connect to a server. which serves as an FTP server. you must enter your username and password and that is it . There are special accounts which are anonymous, used by servers open to the public. It is not uncommon for sites that accept anonymous connections: Multiple FTP servers serve only to distribute files to the general public, and therefore allow anyone to connect. However, some sites that accept connections from users known to the system. In general, anonymous users can not modify the contents of the server. When you log in anonymously, you must provide your email address and password.

Once connected, you can walk in the server’s file system as if it was local file system. You can send (upload) and receive (download) files. We can separate FTP client programs into two categories: those from the command line interface and those that provide an interface style Windows Explorer or MacOS Finder. We will first discuss the simplest client, the ftp program. This program is available on Windows and Linux, although both versions have some subtle but important differences.

To start a session run the command  $ Ftp-name-server  windows. To start the Windows ftp program in Windows, click “Run” in the Start menu and type your command line, ftp frontal.iro.umontreal.ca example.  If all goes well, the connection is established and the program asks for your username. Otherwise, it may be that the server is temporarily offline or is overloaded and accepting connections. In both cases, try again later.  Enter your username and password. You are now free to move around using the cd command, and view the contents of directories with the ls command.  If you want to receive a file, type get-name file, while able-name file allows you to send a local file on the server. When you want to end the session, type bye.

You may prefer programs with a graphical interface, more intuitive and often offer more options. Most of these programs have two windows to navigate through directories and manipulate files. Generally, the left shows the local file system and the right the remote file system. We will not explain the use of these clients here, but suggest you try gftp, a graphical client handy. To simply start : $ Gftp &  Scp  scp is a simple and secure (encrypted) to transfer files from one computer to another. Its use is almost identical to that of PC, but a computer name and user can be added to file names.

It is also possible to transfer a file from a remote server to another. Simply include a user name and computer for the source and the destination.  As this mode of transfer is encrypted, you should use it to protect yourself, especially if you’re in a public place, like on your laptop in a cafe.

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